Defense attorneys in the Aurora movie theater shooting case suggest in a new court filing that the case's judge has shown favoritism to the prosecution through the information he has released to the public.

In a motion filed Friday but not made public until Tuesday, defense attorneys asked for more input on the information that Judge Carlos Samour redacts from court orders or that he leaves unredacted. They suggest that Samour's redactions have caused information favorable to the prosecution to be released to the public, while information favorable to the defense has been redacted.

"The Court's current practices regarding redactions are not effective or fair," the defense motion argues.

Samour denied the motion Tuesday, arguing that he has been more than fair to the defense.

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"The Court has done its utmost to be as thoughtful as possible in striking the appropriate balance between, on the one hand, the defendant's right to a fair trial and the integrity of the proceedings, and on the other, the public's right of access," Samour wrote Tuesday.

While the court file in the murder case against James Holmes has been unsealed, Samour and attorneys from both sides frequently redact information to prevent potential jurors from learning about critical information prior to trial. But the defense's motion also shows how attorneys in the case are cognizant of the ways selective release or redaction of information prior to trial can help or hurt their sides.

The defense's Friday motion takes issue with Samour's redactions on two court filings: an order requiring Holmes to undergo a second mental-health exam and a defense motion asking for permission to talk to Denver Health Medical Center employees about time Holmes spent at the hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Holmes' mental health is at the center of the case because he has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Defense attorneys filed three other motions Friday — all under seal — asking Samour to reconsider his order regarding the second evaluation for Holmes. On Tuesday, Samour officially put the second evaluation on hold while he sorts through the new motions. In that order, Samour revealed that officials at the Colorado Mental Health Institute have selected an out-of-state doctor to perform the second exam.

Holmes is currently set to go on trial in October on charges he murdered 12 people and injured dozens more inside the Century Aurora 16 movie theater in July 2012.

John Ingold: 303-954-1068, jingold@denverpost.com or twitter.com/john_ingold

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